Got pothole? Call 536-7852 or 768-7777

THE ISSUE

Fewer potholes plague roads because of better weather.

IF any government jobs are safe from elimination, they are those of road crews who patch potholes because as soon as one puka is filled, another develops. A lack of heavy rainstorms and the work of city and state crews this year have reduced drivers' jarring encounters with treacherous potholes, but weather and wear will continue to crack the pavement so motorists have to remain on the lookout.

Drivers can keep attention focused on the problem by reporting breaks so that government officials are aware of them before the pukas get nasty. Both the city and state have hot lines and officials say they appreciate getting a heads-up. The numbers are 536-7852 for the state, and 768-7777 for the city.

More than a month of steady rain last year produced a healthy crop of potholes with the city patching 55,192 of them, costing $210,654 in the past fiscal year and another 50,437, priced at $161,437, so far in the current. Meanwhile, claims for damaged cars hit a record 383, with the city paying out $63,939 to motorists.

The state has adopted a different approach, repaving streets because new surfaces last between 7 and 10 years. The state, which has spent $100 million on Oahu repaving since 2004, says this cuts down on the number of patch jobs it must do. The city put $25.2 million into resurfacing 72 lane miles (one lane mile equals a mile-long, 10-foot-wide lane) in 2005.

But fixing pot holes is a never-ending chore. All motorists can do is drive carefully and notify the city or state when potholes appear. Drivers needn't figure out whether the offending hole is on a state or city road because both hotlines forward puka reports each other.